Club America secures their semi-final spot in the Champions Cup with victory over the San Diego Wave

Club America reached the semifinals of the Concacaf W Champions Cup by winning a competitive match against San Diego Wave FC 1-0 at Snapdragon Stadium. Although the Wave won three games in the group stage, they needed at least a draw to stay alive.

The tournament, which exceeded all expectations in its first edition, featured ten clubs competing to qualify for the new FIFA Women's Club World Cup.

Early in the game, San Diego found itself in a challenging situation when goalkeeper and captain Kailen Sheridan received a red card for tripping an attacker on a counterattack, preventing a promising scoring opportunity.

“That play (red card against Sheridan) obviously changes the game, so that’s tough,” San Diego Wave FC interim coach Landon Donovan said. “I actually think we handled the game really well, very well, very mature.”

San Diego had to substitute a player just over 20 minutes into the game and had to make early substitutions, with forward Mya Jones leaving and backup goalkeeper Hillary Beall taking Sheridan's place.

San Diego focused on neutralizing America's attacks but struggled offensively, managing only two shot attempts in the first half, compared to seven additional shots by the Americans. It was goalless at halftime.

The breakthrough came in the 59th minute. America played a long pass into the box where striker Kiana Palacios' header was blocked by Beall. However, the ball bounced off her glove, allowing Sarah Lübbert to finish with her left foot just before defender Naomi Girma could close the gap.

“It’s a difficult goal to achieve,” Donovan said. “I would say the field was in really bad shape, especially in the goal mound. I feel sorry for Hillary (Beall), the ball bounces and moves like three feet. She’s probably devastated by this and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

SARAH LÜBBERT IS THERE FOR THE REBOUND 😤

She opens the scoring @AmericaFemenil! pic.twitter.com/xuPq5kbuMQ

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) October 17, 2024

Despite conceding a goal, San Diego fought to equalize. The Wave earned a few free kicks and corners, but their attack never really worked, finishing the game with just six shots total.

“The hard part was after I conceded the goal, then I put the pressure on again and had to deal with a lot of difficult moments,” Donovan said. “We defended very well in those moments and I’m proud of them for that.

The result is another setback in a disappointing season for the Wave. The NWSL season did not go as planned after a successful run last season. Although they started the Champions Cup with three wins in a row, that wasn't enough to qualify. Donovan was devastated for the club tonight.

“Nights like that night really hurt me,” Donovan said. “I've only been here for a few months but they hurt me for the club because I've achieved a lot in my life and I'm not hoping for any personal gain from it. I wanted that for the club. It’s sad when you can’t deliver that.”

With two games remaining in the NWSL season, San Diego's playoff hopes appear slim. They are six points behind Bay FC, who currently occupy the final playoff spot. Last Sunday, the Wave lost to the last-place team, the Houston Dash.

San Diego travels to Kansas City this Saturday to take on fourth-place Current before returning home to host Racing Louisville FC on November 3rd.

Sebastian Sanchez was born and raised in San Diego. He recently received his bachelor's degree in sports journalism from Arizona State University. A passionate storyteller who has experience covering Mercury and the Phoenix Suns. He has also written for several news outlets and covered various sports at the college and high school levels.

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